Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
He's Baaaaaaaaaaaack...
Review by: Craig "He likes him some vampires" Norris
Length: Full-length movie
Genre: Action, horror
Watched: Dubbed
After watching and being disappointed by the original Vampire Hunter D, I was a little hesitant about this title. But, I had heard good things, so I decided to give it a fair chance. As it turned out, it’s a damn good thing I did.
Plot synopsis: The half-human, half-vampire D has been commissioned to retrieve the daughter of the wealthy John Elbourne. However, he has competition. The nobleman has also hired the Marcus Brothers, a band of highly trained and very persistent
hunters. The race is on for D to retrieve the girl from the clutches of the vampire Meier Link and his guardians before the Marcus Brothers beat him to the prize.
Artwork: This movie is very easy on the eyes. The animation is vivid, rich in detail, and very smooth. The visuals alone are reason enough to keep watching.
Music: The score is robust and fitting to the dark atmosphere. Mainly, however, it stays in the background so as not to overshadow the other elements. It successfully sets the tone without becoming intrusive.
Characters: In an interesting change of pace, the main character is the one that is explained the least. Enough information is given here and there to piece together a slim profile of D, but not nearly enough to have him considered a developed
character. The parasite on D’s left hand is an intriguing character, who not only provides some light comic relief, but also is chiefly responsible for revealing D’s motives through dialogue. The past of the Marcus Brothers is not fully
explained, as I suppose one is meant to believe they are merely a band of dedicated hunters. I would have particularly liked to learn more about Grove, the frail brother who summons a specter of himself with tremendous power. Leila’s past is the
one most clearly explained, but her story is kind of predictable anyway. As a whole, the characters are given sufficient depth, or at least enough to move along the storyline seamlessly.
Plot: By no means is the plot intricately conceived, but it is well constructed. Towards the end, one is thrown into a kind of quandary over who the real enemy is. It is very straightforward, with a few minor twists that only a blind man
couldn’t see coming. As a result it does not require much thought, and leaves a viewer free to enjoy the production values, which is where this film really shines.
CHICKS!: Bloodlust is kind of light on chicks, but considering its genre and overall mood, that’s understandable. The most desirable character is probably Leila, who has it in her to kick many an ass, and stops every once in a while just to stand
around and be cool. Charlotte Elbourne, the kidnapped daughter, is beautiful and soft-spoken, but her complete and utter devotion to Meier Link can get a tad irritating at times. Caroline, a member of the Barbarois race assigned to protect Link,
has a certain demonic sexiness to her. That is, when she’s not assimilated with some sort of object. The countess Carmila, who shows up towards the end of the film to offer sanctuary to Link and Charlotte, is just too oily to find appealing.
Overall: Bloodlust takes everything that the original Vampire Hunter D had to offer and made it all so much better. If you hated the original, Bloodlust may give you new faith in the genre. If you liked the original, Bloodlust will make you
drool a river. If you haven’t seen the original, you should still check out Bloodlust. It’s an hour well spent.
IN A NUTSHELL
+ Visually stunning
+ Solid plot
- Lack of character development
Rating: 9/10
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